Off Topic Thread 3.0

molloyjh · 07-09-2016 10:15AM

irishbucsfan wrote: »

Well now it sounds very much like every other EU nation is about to use that clause of the treaty in order to create their army, with a timetable being presented by Juncker's representative for Foreign Affairs on the 16th September, and also suggestions from the Italians that they're going to try to include tax breaks for arms manufacturing and also subsidising defense research from the EU budget...

Not sure how far Enda Kenny will get if he's the only one objecting to this at their meeting of 27 EU leaders (British excluded) in Bratislava next week, where it's being presented. Not sure that anyone else in the EU is even opposed to it.

The EU has had mechanisms for cooperation for nearly 20 years. That was further defined as part of Lisbon but we are no closer to an EU Army than we were when the defence cooperation agreement was first thought up. As recently as June the EU foreign policy head stated quite categorically that there is no plan for an EU army.

Like I said there are those in the EU who want it, like Junker. But there are also those who want the CCCTB introduced. That doesn't mean it is going to happen. Far from it. And while there are no shortage of people who will jump on statements from people like Junker and make all sorts of claims off the back of them the simple fact is that an EU Army requires unanimity. And AFAIK the French aren't exactly completely behind the idea. Quite the opposite. While they support cooperation they do not want to give up their independence in that area.

molloyjh · 07-09-2016 10:18AM

kuang1 wrote: »

Ah yeah...the walking dead. I watched the first 2 seasons I think. But lost interest when it became obvious that Andrew Lincoln's character wasn't gonna be killed off.
I just can't be sold on him with that southern american accent. Having watched him in "This Life" as Egg, and in "Teachers" as Simon Casey (which both of I enjoyed) it's a reach too far for me to buy in to him being a sheriff from..where was it again? Somewhere in the bible belt anyway...
No ta.

But the plotline was pretty catchy if I remember rightly.

Yeah I would have known him from This Life and Teachers as well and the accent was jarring at first. But either I've gotten used to it or it's improved (or a bit of both) because I don't notice it at all now.

Season 2 got a lot of flak for being slow, but it was no slower than season 1 really and I quite enjoyed it. It picked up in season 3, had a dip again during the second half of season 4, but has been very strong since. Season 6 was ridiculously good.

kuang1 · 07-09-2016 10:27AM

molloyjh wrote: »

Yeah I would have known him from This Life and Teachers as well and the accent was jarring at first. But either I've gotten used to it or it's improved (or a bit of both) because I don't notice it at all now.

Season 2 got a lot of flak for being slow, but it was no slower than season 1 really and I quite enjoyed it. It picked up in season 3, had a dip again during the second half of season 4, but has been very strong since. Season 6 was ridiculously good.

Must keep that in mind so...I might return to it some Friday night 2 beers in!
Currently awaiting House of cards season 5's release.
Frank Underwood; lovable rogue or despot in waiting...I'm undecided.

(For some reason whenever I watch an episode of house of cards I'm reminded of that story of the guy who goes into a bookshop and sees Bertie Aherne's biography under the "biography" section, picks up all copies on the shelf and moves them to the "crime" section):D

irishbucsfan · 07-09-2016 10:32AM

molloyjh wrote: »

The EU has had mechanisms for cooperation for nearly 20 years. That was further defined as part of Lisbon but we are no closer to an EU Army than we were when the defence cooperation agreement was first thought up. As recently as June the EU foreign policy head stated quite categorically that there is no plan for an EU army.

Like I said there are those in the EU who want it, like Junker. But there are also those who want the CCCTB introduced. That doesn't mean it is going to happen. Far from it. And while there are no shortage of people who will jump on statements from people like Junker and make all sorts of claims off the back of them the simple fact is that an EU Army requires unanimity. And AFAIK the French aren't exactly completely behind the idea. Quite the opposite. While they support cooperation they do not want to give up their independence in that area.

We're no closer to it happening... except for the EC's foreign policy representative publishing a timetable for it this week?

At what point would you consider us to be closer to it happening? If they really do reach an agreement to move forward on the 16th September?

Yeah_Right · 07-09-2016 10:52AM

kuang1 wrote: »

Ah yeah...the walking dead. I watched the first 2 seasons I think. But lost interest when it became obvious that Andrew Lincoln's character wasn't gonna be killed off.

You are a bad person and I will not save you when the zombie apocalypse begins.

molloyjh · 07-09-2016 10:57AM

irishbucsfan wrote: »

We're no closer to it happening... except for the EC's foreign policy representative publishing a timetable for it this week?

At what point would you consider us to be closer to it happening? If they really do reach an agreement to move forward on the 16th September?

How can they have a timetable for something that they don't have a competency for?

When asked about whether this would lead to an EU Army, and if so when, Mogherini said "50, 60, 100 years. Who knows.". That doesn't strike me as a concrete timetable for the creation of an EU army.

The plan they are putting forward is just around more defence cooperation. It cannot lead to an EU army without a Treaty change.

kuang1 · 07-09-2016 10:57AM

Yeah_Right wrote: »

You are a bad person and I will not save you when the zombie apocalypse begins.

I am a bad person. And I'll become a mega-zombie as a result.

And then I'm comin for you!

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 07-09-2016 10:59AM

Speaking of zombie apocalypses, I'm looking forward to seeing this when it comes out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjGkB_oWTe0

irishbucsfan · 07-09-2016 11:06AM

molloyjh wrote: »

How can they have a timetable for something that they don't have a competency for?

When asked about whether this would lead to an EU Army, and if so when, Mogherini said "50, 60, 100 years. Who knows.". That doesn't strike me as a concrete timetable for the creation of an EU army.

I don't know, we'll find out when Mogherini presents that timetable next Friday in Bratislava.

Also, that quote will just go along with how they'll justify it, that it's not an EU army it's just a pan-European consolidated military force that acts autonomously from NATO. IE, they'll put in place a tiny sliver of what they want and then gradually move it in the direction they want. They've already really started doing this with the battlegroups. Unfortunately it'll completely undermine our own neutrality if they now start acting on behalf of the EU out of a centralised Brussels HQ (which I'm going to guess is the next proposal we'll hear next Friday... given they've already tried to push it through in the past only for the British to oppose it).

molloyjh · 07-09-2016 11:11AM

irishbucsfan wrote: »

I don't know, we'll find out when Mogherini presents that timetable next Friday in Bratislava.

Also, that quote will just go along with how they'll justify it, that it's not an EU army it's just a pan-European consolidated military force that acts autonomously from NATO. IE, they'll put in place a tiny sliver of what they want and then gradually move it in the direction they want. They've already really started doing this with the battlegroups. Unfortunately it'll completely undermine our own neutrality if they now start acting on behalf of the EU out of a centralised Brussels HQ (which I'm going to guess is the next proposal we'll hear next Friday... given they've already tried to push it through in the past only for the British to oppose it).

Except that they can't legally do that. The battlegroups are headed up on a national basis, not an EU basis. Because they are set up as cooperative missions between independent states. The EU has no power in this area to enact anything. All decisions about what will or won't go ahead happen at national level. End of. This is pretty clear cut stuff. There isn't actually any room for interpretation or manoeuvrability.

irishbucsfan · 07-09-2016 11:17AM

molloyjh wrote: »

Except that they can't legally do that. The battlegroups are headed up on a national basis, not an EU basis. Because they are set up as cooperative missions between independent states. The EU has no power in this area to enact anything. All decisions about what will or won't go ahead happen at national level. End of. This is pretty clear cut stuff. There isn't actually any room for interpretation or manoeuvrability.

Except there is plenty of room for interpretation. They just set up 26 bilateral PSC agreements incorporating battlegroups and they then have the backing of the existing treaty.

"She will also propose to “change institutional structures, to be more imaginative” including an EU military planning and operations headquarters in Brussels that could be a rival to NATO. “More effective civilian and military planning might need a specific structure and we will look into this kind of institutional innovation as well,” Ms Mogherini said yesterday."

etc. It's backdooring the army, she even called it a "beginning" in the Times quotes that are circulating today.

kuang1 · 07-09-2016 11:19AM

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

Speaking of zombie apocalypses, I'm looking forward to seeing this when it comes out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjGkB_oWTe0

Is that Glenn Close?
I'll watch that for her being in it.

07-09-2016 11:34AM

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

Speaking of zombie apocalypses, I'm looking forward to seeing this when it comes out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjGkB_oWTe0

Jesus that looks brilliant, like a cross between children of men and 28 days later. I also really like Gemma Arterton, for acting stuff.

Yeah_Right · 07-09-2016 11:41AM

kuang1 wrote: »

I am a bad person. And I'll become a mega-zombie as a result.

And then I'm comin for you!

But I've been been watching all The Walking Dead. I'll be a cross between Sheriff Grimes, Daryl and Michonne

kuang1 · 07-09-2016 11:58AM

Yeah_Right wrote: »

But I've been been watching all The Walking Dead. I'll be a cross between Sheriff Grimes, Daryl and Michonne

Hmmm...ok...will have to rethink strategies in that case.

wp_rathead · 07-09-2016 02:48PM

Locked out of my house...
I'd keys left in my pants but put on wrong pants this morning
Housemates won't get home till after 7
Feck Wednesdays

07-09-2016 02:50PM

wp_rathead wrote: »

Locked out of my house...
I'd keys left in my pants but put on wrong pants this morning
Housemates won't get home till after 7
Feck Wednesdays

Few pints and the paper. Be grand.

awec · 07-09-2016 02:50PM

wp_rathead wrote: »

Locked out of my house...
I'd keys left in my pants but put on wrong pants this morning
Housemates won't get home till after 7
Feck Wednesdays

Pub.

DGRulz · 07-09-2016 02:52PM

8db02790ad2cfb19ad0df922935beb3c264869634adefe8f0586fc645a1970e2.jpg

Replace Winchester with your pub of choice

Buer · 07-09-2016 03:05PM

I wish I could be locked out of my house more if I get to spend Wednesday in the pub with a newspaper.

*flushes keys away*

Zzippy · 07-09-2016 05:55PM

Buer wrote: »

I wish I could be locked out of my house more if I get to spend Wednesday in the pub with a newspaper.

*flushes keys away*

FYP

wp_rathead · 07-09-2016 07:23PM

Home now
Had 2 creamy pints in Rabbits

Felix Jones is God · 07-09-2016 07:33PM

wp_rathead wrote: »

Home now
Had 2 creamy pints in Rabbits

How many pints can you fit in a rabbit?!

pickarooney · 07-09-2016 07:44PM

I've heard of the hare of the dog but...

b.gud · 07-09-2016 09:17PM

What I say to my girlfriend: "I understand why you feel like that"
What I actually mean: "I absolutely do not understand why you feel like that, but I hope that me saying this will bring the conversation closer to its conclusion"

molloyjh · 07-09-2016 09:44PM

b.gud wrote: »

What I say to my girlfriend: "I understand why you feel like that"
What I actually mean: "I absolutely do not understand why you feel like that, but I hope that me saying this will bring the conversation closer to its conclusion"

It's pretty much the male equivalent to "fine".

Zzippy · 07-09-2016 10:14PM

b.gud wrote: »

What I say to my girlfriend: "I understand why you feel like that"
What I actually mean: "I absolutely do not understand why you feel like that, but I hope that me saying this will bring the conversation closer to its conclusion"

A polite way of saying "What the f*ck are you on about you absolute loon?"

Made me think of this...

DGRulz · 08-09-2016 09:33AM

Dunno about you lot but I thoroughly enjoyed my 5.5KM walk to work this morning

freyners · 08-09-2016 03:01PM

DGRulz wrote: »

Dunno about you lot but I thoroughly enjoyed my 5.5KM walk to work this morning

Today was by far the most stressful cycle into work I've experienced since i started, have to say DB drivers are generally good towards cyclists in my experience. Replace one bus with another 30 cars people who obviously never drive into work, no idea of the cycle lanes and dont know how to pass a cyclist = unhappy, stressed out freyners :mad::mad:

mfceiling · 08-09-2016 06:30PM

Traffic was still light at 6 a.m

Off Topic Thread 3.0

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